WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Klemen Vuga scored a career-high 29 points and Jack Collins netted a career-best 22 as Monmouth University Men's Basketball rolled past North Carolina A&T Monday night, 85-71.
 
Monmouth's lead grew to 13 early in the second half, but an Aggie run trimmed it to three. MU answered that with an 11-2 push to lead again by 12, and after Jack Collins netted a three to make it 15, Vuga posted his own 6-0 run capped by a steal and dunk in transition to make it 71-52. NC A&T would get within eight before Collins knocked in a long triple, and the Hawks extended the advantage from there, going up by as many as 16 en route to the 85-71 win.
 
MU opened an eight-point lead in the opening half, with Jack Holmstrom hitting a key three during an 8-0 run. After the Aggies tied, it, Monmouth closed the half on fire, scoring 19 of the final 25 points which included five Vuga buckets and a late slam dunk from Foster to send MU to the break up 40-29.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"Tonight, we just tried to focus on playing better defense and competing. It's been a rough couple of days so I'm glad by kids responded today. We took better care of the ball and I thought we just competed." – Head Coach King Rice

"We talked in the huddle and Coach Rice kept telling me to go to my right hook and I kept doing that and we got to 29." – Junior Klemen Vuga
 
"We won five of six, we've been playing better as a group and getting more confidence. I think we're really coming together and it's fun to see." – Freshman Jack Collins
 
-Klemen Vuga's 29 points are a career high and the most in a game by a Hawk this season.
-Vuga's 29 points are the most since George Papas' 30 against Colgate on December 19, 2021.
-Jack Collins scored a career-high 22 points.
-Collins tied a career-mark with five made triples.
-MU posted its seventh game with a positive assist-turnover ratio.
-Monmouth matched its highest-scoring half of the season with 45 points in the second.
-Monmouth's 85 points is the most this season, and most since an 86-85 OT defeat to Iona on January 18, 2022. The last time MU got to 85 points in regulation was in a win at Saint Joseph's on November 20, 2021.
-Monmouth completes a season sweep of North Carolina A&T, the program's first CAA season sweep.
-MU has won five of its last six games.
-Myles Foster notched his 18^th double-figure scoring game this season.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth shot 51% to the Aggies' 40%.
-MU was better in the paint, 46-24.
-The Hawks limited NC A&T to 29% from three.
-The game featured four ties and six lead changes.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth is at Northeastern Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.